


Fetch Her Heart

by SerenityQuill



Category: Frozen (2013), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2018-08-15 14:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8060734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenityQuill/pseuds/SerenityQuill
Summary: It's Anna's birthday and Elsa can't figure out what to get her little sister. But when Astrid stumbles upon the new type of dragon, she follows it to Arendelle and makes a fiery impression on the Snow Queen's world. Elsa x Astrid Elstrid - femslash, yuri.





	1. Chapter 1

Elsa looked out the window. She plopped her head in her hand, thinking about tomorrow. Thinking about Anna’s birthday. Afternoon sunlight streamed in. Elsa had spent a good portion of her morning hashing out trade agreements and contracts with other countries. It had been dull, headache inducing work and she needed to think on things other than money.

Like how tomorrow her little sister turned nineteen. “Nineteen,” Elsa muttered.

She couldn’t believe it. She had missed so much. Her gaze wandered to her nightstand. Inside the top drawer was her gift to Anna. The gift she bought months ago and immediately disliked.

She had purchased a sapphire pendant necklace that would go lovely with Anna’s eyes, but it seemed too small for Anna. Not price-wise, the pendant cost more than her first horse, but Elsa wanted to make up for the years she hadn’t spent with her sister.

The pendant just didn’t seem special enough. Elsa frowned. But what else could she give?

The door slammed open and Anna rushed inside. “Elsa!” she practically sang, “How was your morning?”

Elsa winced. She forced a smile. “It was fine, Anna. How was yours?”

Anna knelt next to Elsa, her skirts bunching beneath her legs. “Great! I got into a snowball fight with Olaf. I swear he wins every time.”

“You do look a little worse for the wear.” Elsa eyed her little sister. Anna’s once clean red dress had water stains all over the bodice and back. The hems had ripped a little, fraying at the ends.

Sometimes, Elsa envied her little sister’s ability to play. Other times – Elsa’s gaze lingered on the clumps of dirt and twigs and snow in Anna’s hair – she didn’t envy it at all. How long would it take her to comb all that out?

 “And he would win, since he’s made of snow.” Elsa got up, ruffled around in her closet for a moment and picked up a spare robe. She threw it at Anna. “Now go change before you make a mess.”

 Anna caught the robe and wandered into the adjacent bathroom. Her voice came out muffled.

“Snow and your magic! Have you tried to create any other creatures?”

 Elsa sat back down, smoothening out her dress. It seemed an odd thing to bring up. They had never really spoken about Olaf before. “What? Anna, don’t say such silly things.”

 “What, you created a snowman and he came to life.” Anna’s red dress flew out of the bathroom, crumpling beside the bed. “Why not build a puppy? Or a duck?”

 “Anna…” Her sister could be so strange. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

 Anna appeared, wrapped up snug in Elsa’s robes, blue with white trim. She left her dress on the floor. “Or a dragon?” She beamed. “Wouldn’t it be great to have a dragon around?”

“Dragons aren’t real. They’re from fairytales.” Elsa rolled her eyes. A dragon. Honestly. When had her sister gotten into that kind of mythology? Then again, Anna did spend a lot of time with Kristoff’s family of trolls. Who knew what kind of stories they told her. And Elsa had just rekindled her and Anna’s relationship last year. There were probably a lot of things she didn’t know about her sister just yet.

Anna poked her in the side, drawing her attention. Anna smiled broader. “I bet it could guard the castle.”

Elsa sighed. “Anna, they aren’t real.”

“But they could be. Have you been everywhere in the world?” Leaning forward, Anna made a grand gesture, her arms sweeping the room. She rambled on. “No. So somewhere they could be real. Bulda told me a story about them anyway, how there are trolls on the far islands that swear they’ve seen dragons. And yours wouldn’t even have to be a very big dragon with scary teeth. It could be a little one, a tiny one. Miniature even.”

“Anna!” Elsa’s anger slipped out. The air grew colder. She already had a tough morning, bickering with her staff and negotiating with dignitaries, she didn’t want to deal with her sister’s wild fantasies, too.

“Okay, okay.” Anna’s smile slipped and she lowered her hands. “It was just a suggestion.”

“I know.” Elsa took a deep breath. The air warmed. “Look, I don’t know how I built Olaf, I just did.”

“Why not try again?” Anna shrugged.

Her sister was always so intense. Elsa clasped her hands on her lap. “I see no need to create other things. There are plenty of creatures already here in Arendelle.”

Anna nodded. She took a deep breath, then blew it out again. “Well, I would love one.” She wrinkled her nose and nudged Elsa. “And you know… my birthday is tomorrow. A tiny dragon would make a perfect gift for someone special!”

Elsa laughed softly. Some hint. “Now if only I knew who that special someone was…” Elsa murmured, giving her sister a small smile.

“You know what something else great would be?” Anna flopped back on the bed.

“What?”

“A snowstorm.”

Elsa’s smile widened as she waved her hand. Snow drifted past her window. Anna grinned.

Snow she could do…but dragons? Who knew where Anna came up with such ideas?

 

* * *

“Come on,” Astrid muttered, backing up from the Monstrous Nightmare.

Its green scales flashed in the sunlight. Its bright yellow eyes narrowed. A puff of smoke curled from its mouth, drifting past its formidable row of teeth. The Nightmare crawled closer to her, its wings scratching the ground.

Astrid halted. Her heart pounded in her chest and she tried to ignore the sweat building up on the back of her neck. No matter how many times she worked with dragons, they always scared her at first. Even with her Deadly Nadder, Stormfly, crouched behind her, she still feared the Nightmare.

Usually she’d just hide this fear behind a battle cry, but this was not the time, nor the dragon, to do it. If she wanted to tame this dragon, they couldn’t fight it. They’d have to do it peacefully.

This probably wasn’t the best place to confront the dragon. In a valley surrounded by very burnable trees. And so close to Berk, only a few minutes ride away. But she had found no other chance.

The Nightmare snaked its great head closer. Closer. So close Astrid felt its breath hot on her face and the scent of burnt coals it carried. She sifted through her knowledge of Monstrous Nightmares, how their most dangerous aspect is their fire jackets, the ability to engulf themselves in flame.

“I can do this. I’ve got this,” she whispered mostly to herself but partly to Stormfly, too, who had started rumbling.

There were two ways to stop the attack. Grab the dragon by its horns and pin it to the ground. Her way. Or, touch the dragon. Hiccup’s way. Pain spiked through her chest at the thought. Idiot. Now was not the time for being sentimental. Not when facing a dragon. Out of respect, though, she’d try his way first.

She shifted some of her weight to her back leg, readying to leap. Unless things went up in flames. Stormfly inched closer, into Astrid’s line of sight. Too close to the other dragon.

“No,” Astrid murmured.

Stormfly cocked her massive head, her nose-spike pointing conveniently towards the Nightmare. 

Astrid shook her head. Stormfly blinked, then backed up.

Astrid turned back to the Nightmare. Its eyes burned. Astrid reached out her hand. The Nightmare shied away. Astrid moved faster, gently placing her hand on the dragon’s snout. She spread her fingers wide, the Nightmare’s scales rough under her fingers. The dragon’s eyes closed. Its lips twitched up.

The dragon liked her touch. Despite her fear, Astrid always loved this part. This first meeting of a new dragon. This connection forged, if only tentatively between woman and beast.

She reached around to the basket tied to her waist and plucked a fish out of it. The dragon perked up. Still keeping her hand on the creature, she offered the fish. The Nightmare gobbled it up, then nudged her hand for a another.

“Good dragon,” Astrid whispered. 

Astrid leaned closer to the Nightmare, rubbing up its snout and wrapping her fingers around one of its horns. She eyed the dragon’s leg, hitched up by its stomach. This particular Nightmare had been too feisty too close to Berk. It had broken one of its legs, in battle or somehow else. Astrid didn’t know.

She ran her hand up the Nightmare’s curved horn. This dragon had barreled into the village and set a stable on fire. And it could use help. No one could get close enough to touch it, but someone had to.

After all, they weren’t in the business of sheep or pigs. Dragons could be wild, dangerous creatures if left untamed. Especially a wounded one.

* * *

 

Anna had left a few minutes ago to find some lunch. Elsa had promised to join her later on but right now, she wanted some quiet time. Elsa liked being alone. As Queen she hardly had any time to herself. Someone knocked on the door. Short lived as it may be.

“Enter,” Elsa said.

Kristoff slipped inside and sat down. Elsa arched an eyebrow. First Anna and now Kristoff? Though the two visits couldn’t be more different. Where Anna had been loud and excited, Kristoff seemed serious, too serious. It worried her. 

Kristoff scratched the side of his head and ruffled his hair. He hadn’t looked at her for a full minute. Not particularly strange, since his gaze usually lingered on Anna, but Anna wasn’t in the room. They generally had a good rapport, though, her and Kristoff.

Finally he cleared his throat and lifted his gaze. “Elsa, I would like to ask for your permission, as Queen… and as Anna’s sister, for Anna’s hand in marriage. I have a ring. Here.” He shoved a hand in his coat pocket and brought out a box, opening it. Inside rested a simple silver band. The ring glinted. “I would like to do it on her birthday tomorrow.”

Elsa frowned. The ring would fit Anna perfectly. But of all the things he could have said, she expected that last. Kristoff had been good to Anna this past year since the eternal winter of hers. He treated her right and could provide if Anna needed it. And Anna really seemed to love him. But they were so young. Anna, at least, still had some… immaturity about her. Elsa waited the appropriate amount of time before answering.

Kristoff gulped, his adam’s apple wobbling. She could only imagine the thoughts swirling around this man’s head.

Finally she nodded. “The ring is beautiful. You have my permission.”

Kristoff whooped.

Elsa raised her hand between them. “On one condition.”

Kristoff’s grin melted, but he leaned forward. “Anything.”

The seriousness of his statement caused Elsa to pause. He truly did love her. “That reindeer of yours will not be allowed to lick me at anytime during the ceremony.”

Had she just said ceremony? That seemed to be jumping ahead. He hadn’t even proposed yet.

But Kristoff took it in stride. “Sven? Of course not. He’ll be the one delivering the rings.”

She smiled.

Kristoff stuffed the box back into his pocket and rose to his feet. “Speaking of, I should probably see how he’s doing outside. He gets lonely if I don’t visit when it snows.”

“Of course.” Elsa nodded. “Have a good night, Kristoff.”

He lumbered out, shutting the door behind him.

Elsa got to her feet and wandered over to the window. She pressed her forehead against the glass and sighed. Arendelle could use a higher blanket of white every now and then. It certainly made her more comfortable. In fact, she could use a bit more, too. Kristoff’s gift seemed so grand, so lovely. So perfect. Elsa wanted to do the same. She owed her sister that much.

Maybe she should try to make a dragon for Anna. After all, what could a little snow creature possibly do? 


	2. Chapter 2

Elsa held her breath. It had been a long time since she made anything other than ice rinks and snowstorms with her ice powers. And even longer still, a snowman. Olaf had been her last one. But this one wasn’t a snowman. It was a snow…dragon. She let her breath go in a puff. How hard could that be?

The empty dining hall seemed too big for her little experiment, but since Anna had just eaten, it was the only place that seemed safe. The staff would leave this place alone and Anna had probably rushed off to find Kristoff. Kristoff. Elsa’s stomach tightened. Who had a ring for her little sister. And who would be asking her hand in marriage tomorrow.

She tried to push that thought away and concentrate on the dragon. What kind of dragon would she make? 

Elsa pulled a thick, leather-bound book closer to her. Creatures of Myth didn’t seem too comprehensive of a resource, but it had been the only choice. She flipped the dusty book open to the page and a half devoted to dragons. Large, fearsome creatures. Ones that breathed fire and brought death and destruction to everything they touched. Only one picture – a dragon with teeth extending past its jaw-line, a ridged back, and scales in every shade of red. 

Elsa rolled her eyes and slammed the book shut. Not really the best birthday gift for a nineteen year old. “Maybe I could make it a bit more … approachable,” she muttered.

But what kind of dragon would her sister like? She should’ve asked when the topic arose, but her shock and annoyance had taken that opportunity away. Her shock and annoyance did that for most things. 

Rubbing her temples, she sat down at the table. Being Queen was not like she had expected. All the responsibility. All the stress. All the people wanting so many things. 

She wanted to give her people everything they deserved and more, but the money didn’t come in as much as they needed it. Her shoulders slumped. She had never been more easily annoyed. But she didn’t want to turn into an angry Queen. It wouldn’t be right, or fair, to run Arendelle like that. Not after her eternal winter. 

Elsa swirled some snow in her hand. Even though it seemed her people liked her, she felt like she still needed to prove her worth. A snow dragon for their beloved princess might just do the trick. 

She imagined the gleeful look on Anna’s face. More than that, a snow dragon for her little sister would do wonders for Elsa’s mood.

Conjuring up snowflakes, she pieced the crystals together, swirling them round and round until a shape appeared. Narrow wings past its flank, hooked claws on all four paws, ridged snout, tiny ears, a little pooch for the belly. 

Elsa stepped back and eyed her work. The tail seemed too long, the wings, too narrow. What kind of ears did a dragon even have? She smoothed out some of the detail, pulled the claws in a bit, and cut the tail shorter.

Now it looked like a dog.

Elsa heaved a sigh. “What did I get myself into?” 

Demolishing the dog, she tried again, this time focusing as much as possible on the details. A streamlined body, yes that would be good. And a narrow ridged tail the length of that body. Wide wings tucked by its back. A short neck and head. No, she demolished that. A little longer neck, with a rounded oval face. The snout ridged like before. Oval eyes. And a little oval belly, too. Was that too fat? She smoothed out the belly a little, then added claws to all four paws. Little pointed ears – the inset ones reminded her too much of a snake – and some ridges down the back of its neck for good measure. It had to look a little fearsome, being a dragon and all.

With a final flourish she added little details - a snowflake pattern down its back, blue-ice for its eyes, a semi-clear ice for its wings. 

Elsa leaned back. The snow-dragon sat on its hindquarters, claws extended, mouth slightly open. Elsa added teeth, shorter ones, nothing like the picture in her book. She pushed the tail around one leg and curled it up towards its belly. Sealed some blue-ice in the ridges. The dragon, even if it curled up on its side, wouldn’t fill one of their dinner plates. 

Miniature. Elsa smiled. Just like Anna wanted.

But how would she call it to life? She thought back. With Olaf she was testing her powers, but this little dragon hardly counted as a test. And she never figured out how Olaf came to life. The snowman was so tightly linked to her childhood and the fun she had with Anna, that she always wished he was alive. For Anna’s sake, of course. But a dragon?

Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Why would I want a dragon to come to life?”

For Anna.

For when Anna left her to be with Kristoff. 

For when Anna left her behind.

The dragon could protect her. It could be with her when Elsa wasn’t. It could comfort her. Elsa sagged forward, resting her elbows on the table. Her vision watered. She would miss her sister so much. They had just started to get to know one another. And Elsa would be left alone. She conjured up some crystals and drifted them onto the dragon’s belly. Anna would like the sparkles. 

Elsa closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Kristoff hadn’t even proposed yet and already she jumped forward to Anna moving out. She was being silly, getting this worked up. And maybe Anna wouldn’t move out at all. Maybe Anna and Kristoff would live in the palace. Maybe… 

Something nudged her elbow.

She raised her head and shrieked. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she leaned as far back as her chair would allow. 

The dragon had come to life.

* * *

 

Astrid sauntered into the new training arena. The Monstrous Nightmare followed her. Of course it would. Astrid grinned. She was the best dragon trainer there ever lived, after all. After Hiccup, of course. The Nightmare slipped inside, head low, eyes glazed. Stormfly stalked in after it. The Nightmare crouched in the corner of the arena, glaring at the pair. Astrid tried to quietly close the arena’s gates, but the metallic clang couldn’t be softened. 

She turned her back on the Nightmare, a daring move since it hadn’t really been trained yet. Stormfly would keep a close eye on the newbie. She put her mother’s battle axe down, resting it on the stone walls, and glanced at the pair.

Stormfly kept her posture unaggressive, crouched but not tense, watchful but not viciously so. Still, the Nightmare glared. With the addition of new species from Valka’s lair it seemed odd that this dragon would feel scared here. The other dragons fit in well enough with theirs. This was a Nightmare, though. Not like one of those Alpha beasts. 

Astrid could handle a Nightmare. 

She eyed the structure. But could this new training arena handle it? After the fight with Drago and the Bewilderbeast’s destruction, they had to re-build. Hiccup had decided to re-build the training arena to mimic the one of old, the one where Vikings would kill dragons. Complete with a metal chains crisscrossing the top just in case a new dragon got out of hand. It replicated the place so well Astrid swore dragon blood lingered in the air. Impossible, of course.

The Nightmare snorted. A burst of flame shot from its mouth, calling her attention.

She smiled. “Come on, now, boy, it can’t be that bad.”

Reaching down she grabbed a fish and threw it up in the air. Stormfly darted up and snatched it. Astrid laughed. Only then did she spot Hiccup watching them from above, watching the newest dragon. Or analyzing her performance? She couldn’t tell. Her laugher died down. An ache grew inside of her, seeing him again, but she pushed it away. As chief, didn’t he have other things to worry about? 

Patting Stormfly, she muttered, “Good girl. Now let him get it.”

Her dragon landed with a thump, watching the new dragon as Astrid reached for another fish. Astrid tossed it over to the Nightmare. The Nightmare eyed the morsel, narrowed its eyes at Astrid, then gulped the fish down.

Astrid stepped closer. It wouldn’t attack her. Not on her turf. Not with Hiccup watching. She reached for its horns, then ran her hands down the dragon’s side. The dragon shifted, but Astrid moved with it. It snorted again. Astrid rolled her eyes. Stubborn. Some dragons didn’t like human contact, but judging from their first encounter, this one certainly wasn’t one. Pausing over the right hindquarter, she ran her other hand down its injured leg, testing for breaks. 

The dragon jerked away and snapped at Astrid’s hand. Stormfly darted over, grumbling, but Astrid waved her back. She slapped the Nightmare’s nose. “Stop it.”

The Nightmare blinked, shaking its head. It glared at Astrid, but didn’t attack. Sometimes the harsher way did work. She fought the impulse to smirk at Hiccup. He probably disapproved. 

Astrid frowned. “Look, I’m trying to help, you stubborn dragon. I gave you fish, didn’t I? Now settle down.”

The dragon lowered its head. She went back to studying the injury. Broken at the calf, the leg would need to be put in a splint in order to heal correctly. She leaned closer. The dragon carried some luck though, any further down the calf and it would’ve lost the ability to walk. A mass of twigs and leaves stuck to one side. She’d have to get the stuff off to see the wound. The Nightmare certainly wouldn’t like that. But it had to be done, and soon. If left alone, the wound might fester. 

“Need any help there, Astrid?” Hiccup’s voice rang through the arena.

Astrid winced. With an injured dragon, and one that the other Vikings weren’t too keen on, she probably would need the extra help. Anyone’s help other than his, that is. 

* * *

 

Containing her scream, Elsa stared at the little dragon. Eyes wide, it reared on its hind legs and sent a small burst of ice at her. The snow didn’t reach her, though. The dragon unfurled its wings and toppled backwards, head over claw. Landing in a heap, it drew its wings over its face and curled its tail around, forming a distinct, if tiny, wall between it and Elsa.

Elsa laughed. “Anna will love you.”

She reached out her hand and stroked the dragon’s wings. The dragon trembled. Elsa drew back. “Don’t be scared, little one.”

As if in reply, the dragon lifted its wing and stared at her with one beady eye. She smiled. “See, nothing to be afraid of.” 

Would the dragon be able to talk, like Olaf? It didn’t seem to have the ability. Not yet, anyway. The dragon stretched, flaring its wings behind and pushing its tail into the air. Then it sat back on its hunches, eyeing her.

Elsa pursed her lips. “Now what to do with you?”

A crash came from the kitchens, followed by a shout. “You better leave, Princess, or the Queen will have your head! You’re not supposed to be in her until supper.”

Another voice floated in. “Okay, okay. I just wanted some chocolate to hold me over.”

Anna? Elsa couldn’t believe her bad luck. The one time she actually didn’t want to see her little sister. She looked back at the dragon. “We have to hide you,” she whispered.

The dragon titled its head. Maybe it did understand?

Elsa summoned her powers, forming a clear ice dome. When she slipped the new creation over the dragon, the dragon curled up into a tight ball and closed its eyes. Elsa nodded. Good dragon. 

“Heavens, what am I doing?” she murmured, waving her hands a little. The dome became slightly opaque, then solid white.

Just in time, too. Anna slid into the room. “Elsa!” She rushed over to the table and sat in a chair next to her. “What’s that?”

Anna reached out to touch the dome, but Elsa slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch.”

“Why not? Is it for my birthday?” Anna grinned. 

“Yes,” Elsa replied. A corner of the dome began to melt. Elsa fixed it with a nonchalant wave of her hand, forming a shard of blue ice over the water.

Anna squealed and hopped a little in her seat. “But I wanna see what it is.”

Elsa pursed her lips. “And I want to keep it a surprise. You’ll see tomorrow.” She waved at the archway leading out of the dining room. “Go find Kristoff.”

Kristoff, the man who’d propose to her soon. Elsa’s stomach flipped.

“Well, if you insist.” Anna rose and gave Elsa a wink. “But I’d better be shocked and awed tomorrow by that little surprise of yours.”

Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and waved as her sister disappeared around a corner. “Yes, tomorrow.”

Once the bouncing footsteps faded away, Elsa sighed. She tapped the ice dome, shattering it. The dragon had vanished down a newly formed crack in the table, leaving only a few snowflakes in its path. 

“Oh no!” Elsa peeked under the tablecloth. Nothing. She searched the windows. Nothing. 

Elsa searched and searched and still couldn’t find her newest creation. And it wasn’t like she could tell anyone else that she created it. The people of Arendelle would panic. A dragon of lore loose in the kingdom. But when she went to bed that night, her thoughts swirled. How could she have done such a stupid thing? Create a dragon. Where would a dragon go?

* * *

 

Astrid gave the dragon some food and water then left him alone for a little while. Perhaps the dragon wouldn’t be as feisty after eating. Maybe she could do it alone. Really she just hoped if she stalled enough, Hiccup would be caught up in other chiefly duties. The Ruffnut or Tuffnut could help out. Once the light started to fade, though, Astrid knew she’d have to take care of that wound before the dragon fell asleep. 

She went into the arena, Hiccup walking in after, bringing a bucket of water with him. Astrid didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. Hands slickening, she patted the dragon to get rid of the sweat. The Nightmare growled, a low rumble deep in its belly. Maybe it didn’t like Hiccup. That would be a first. Astrid stroked the dragon’s side. The Nightmare calmed. 

“So,” Hiccup said, plopping the water by Astrid’s knee. “Where’d you find him?”

Astrid kept her eyes on the blood-red scales of the dragon’s thigh. “In the valley a mile west of here.” 

“A mile?” Hiccup’s voice rose. “Isn’t that cutting it a bit close?”

Astrid frowned, her voice hardening. “Yeah, but I caught him, didn’t I? I got him in here, didn’t I?”

“True. How’s his leg?”

“I need to clean the wound. You’ll need to hold onto him. But be careful, he’s stubborn.”

“This guy?”

“Yes.” Astrid glanced over her shoulder. Hiccup, clad in all his chiefdom glory, had his arms wrapped around the Nightmare’s neck. The dragon closed its eyes and nuzzled Hiccup’s shoulder. How? Astrid quickly turned away. She hoped Hiccup hadn’t noticed her expression. “Well, he was stubborn, then.”

“I think he’s just happy to have your hand on him.” Hiccup said. She glared at him. “I-I mean, he’s just happy that you’re touching him. That you’re around.” 

Astrid shook her head and turned back to the wound. They had gone back to his awkward phase then, it seemed. Well, everything would be awkward for awhile. “Just keep him still.”

“Okay.”

Stormfly started to growl. Astrid shook her head. She loved her dragon but Stormfly could be a little over protective sometimes. “I’m just helping him out, Stormfly, it’s all right.”

With sure hands, she removed the leaves and twigs, then sloughed some water onto the wound. The dragon trembled, but didn’t jerk away. It wouldn’t. Not with Hiccup around. Blood dripped down the dragon’s leg, forming a puddle by its foot. Astrid pursed her lips and leaned closer. The wound seemed clean enough but if she left it to air she feared the dragon would poke at it. Where’s a cloth when she needed one?

“Here.” A bundle of fabric fell at Astrid’s feet. Hiccup cleared his throat. “I brought it along in case you wanted to bandage it.”

Astrid sighed. He was a good chief. “Thank you.” She tied the bandage around the dragon’s leg as quickly as she could and stepped back. Hiccup rubbed the Nightmare’s neck once more, then he moved away as well.

The Nightmare peered at them, then at its leg. 

Stormfly’s growls grew deeper. Astrid ignored her, but then Stormfly’s tail bumped into her back. She spun around and threw up her hands. “What?”

But Stormfly wasn’t looking at her. Stormfly wasn’t even looking at the Nightmare. Stormfly looked upward. Astrid stared, too. At first, she didn’t see anything. Then something glinted. Something in the sky… glinted. The Nightmare began growling, too. Another attack? Astrid started for Stormfly, intending to leap on her back. She didn’t have to though. The glinting stopped.

A snowflake the size of a coin fell into the arena, landing softly on the hard-packed ground. Astrid inched closer. The snowflake lifted, started to spin. Then, all at once, a tiny white dragon crystallized. 

Stormfly lunged in front of Astrid. Hiccup backed away. Even the Nightmare tensed. It seemed no one liked this newcomer.

Astrid, though, moved closer. She slipped around Stormfly and crouched down. The miniature dragon titled its head at her. Beautiful. She had never seen anything so beautiful. The blue coloring on its wings practically glowed. 

“It’s a new species!” she whispered. “It has to be, look at its markings.”

“And the fact that it was a snowflake and now it’s a dragon.” Hiccup replied. He moved a little closer, too, sidling next to Astrid. 

The miniature dragon darted away to the far corner of the arena, curling itself up, pulling its wings up to its little oval head. Its bright blue eyes widened. Even from this distance, Astrid could see it trembling. 

“Maybe it doesn’t like both of us at once.” Hiccup slipped in front of Astrid. “I’ll approach it first.”

“What?” Astrid nudged him with her shoulder. He could be so— Astrid stopped herself. No need to get angry. Not right now. After their breakup, though, she tensed every time she came near him. And he seemed awkward around her, too. 

But this seemed excessive. The dragon didn’t seem to mind when she got closer, only when Hiccup did. Didn’t he notice that?

“Just let me,” Hiccup muttered. “If it’s a new species, I have a better chance of getting closer to it than you do.” He paused, his eyes widening.

Astrid arched her eyebrow. “Oh really?”

Hiccup raised his hands. “That’s not what it sounded like.”

“Fine. If you’re so great, then approach it already.”

“Thank you.” Hiccup smiled at her, but she didn’t return the gesture. He inched closer to the white dragon. It curled up tighter, tucking its snout under its tail. Astrid moved closer too, she couldn’t help herself. Hiccup towered over the creature now. He knelt.

“Don’t be afraid.” Hiccup reached out, almost touched the dragon.

The dragon flicked its tail away from its face and uncurled in one fluid motion. It bit Hiccup on the finger, sinking its white teeth far into his skin, then dashed away. Hiccup yelped and yanked his hand back. The chains rattled as the dragon flew to them.

He waved his bleeding finger in Astrid’s face. “It bit me!”

Astrid rolled her eyes. “You scared it.” 

She glanced at Stormfly and the Nightmare. Both had calmed down. It seemed they didn’t need to be frightened of this new dragon. Its entrance had just startled them. She glanced up. The white dragon watched her, blue eyes glowing from the firelamps. If she could just get it to come down.

The dragon glowed, melting into a snowflake form and drifting to the ground. Once there, it crystallized again. 

“Fascinating,” Astrid murmured.

Astrid knelt next to the dragon, admiring its design. Blue ice formed swirls on its thighs, ridges poked from its snout and back. It pulled its wings around its body and scooted away from Astrid. But it still watched her with wide piercing blue eyes. And it didn’t tremble. 

She slowly reached out her hand, fingers extended, then stopped mid-way. The dragon puffed a few ice crystals her direction, displaying its teeth in the process. An aggressive gesture. But understandable. It was tiny after all. She pulled her hand back and pushed it to the ground instead. The dirt gritted against her palm. A rock pushed against her skin. But she kept it there. Maybe the dragon wouldn’t be so afraid if the gesture came from below. She slid her hand closer to the tiny dragon. 

The dragon watched, its ears pricking up. It tilted its head as Astrid stopped an inch or so away. They could almost touch. Astrid wanted to move faster, to run her fingers over the dragon’s wings, to form a bond. But the dragon hesitated. So she did, too. 

The dragon lowered its head, eyes latched onto hers, and nudged its snout next to her hand. It closed the gap, pushing its snout onto her fingers. Astrid smiled. She ran her hand as gently as she could over the dragon’s snout, down its neck, over its wings. Cold. The dragon was so cold. But smooth, too. Its scales smooth as ice. The dragon cooed. 

Hiccup knelt too. The dragon jerked up and stared at him. It flicked its eyes to Astrid then back to Hiccup. He reached out once again, but the dragon moved away, sliding closer to Astrid instead.

Astrid laughed softly. “It likes me.”

“Yes, it does.” Hiccup frowned.

The dragon perked up, bumping its head against Astrid’s arm. It glared at the sky. With one last look at Astrid, the dragon took flight and zipped past the chains, its wings glinting in the firelight. 

Astrid rose. “Wait!” she cried. 

Stormfly bounded over to her, lowering herself so Astrid could climb on. Astrid did so, pulling Stormfly around, then glanced at Hiccup. 

“Go,” he said. “But don’t travel too far. Not at night.”

Astrid nodded. Stormfly crouched, then burst upward, swishing her wings down to gain altitude. Astrid knew she should listen to Hiccup. She knew she should listen to the Chief of Burk.

But she also knew she would go as far as she needed to in order to follow the little dragon.

* * *

 

Anna’s birthday morning flew by. Elsa grimaced when she looked at the time, 11am. They were supposed to give gifts half an hour ago. Elsa twisted the piece of paper in her hand. As Queen, she would give a simple speech to honor the Princess of Arendelle’s birthday. As Anna’s sister, Elsa didn’t want to mess up. She searched the sky. And she really wanted that ice dragon to come back. 

More well wishers spilled through the open gates and onto the already crowded castle grounds. Elsa silently thanked them. The more the merrier… or rather, the more the better distracted Anna would be. Her younger sister greeted them in her usual cheerful fashion, hugs and grins all around. Elsa nodded to a few stranglers waiting their turn to see the birthday girl. She caught a snippet of their conversation as they passed.

“A whole year older!”

“And still more beautiful than the last.”

“Yes, that dress is simply lovely.”

Dressed in her favorite green gown, Anna did look pretty today. Her hair was up in a bun, done by Kristoff’s mother, Bulda. For a stone troll, she had some magic to those fingers. Anna greeted another set of well wishers, a couple it seemed, their hands twined together, and shot a glance at Kristoff, who stood by her side. 

Elsa smiled and caught Kristoff’s eye. He nodded, then glanced away. He tugged at his coat, a bulge in his chest pocket shifting. Elsa, too, looked away. The ring. His ring. The one he would give to Anna. The special birthday gift Elsa couldn’t possibly top. Not that it was a competition… but she did want her gift to be special, too. She fingered the necklace hidden in the folds of her dress. The pendant simply wasn’t enough. Elsa glanced upward again, willing to see an icy glint in the cloudless sky.

The constant hum permeating the grounds since early this morning dimmed. Elsa glanced down. All eyes had drifted to her. She straightened. Oh heavens, had she forgotten something? Had one of the royal councils given an announcement she missed. 

Then Anna bounded up to her. A tendril of brown hair slipped free of her bun. “Elsa, is it time for the gifts? Everyone’s wondering.”

Elsa tucked the stray hair behind Anna’s ear, a sisterly gesture. Too sisterly perhaps for such a great occasion, but she didn’t care. And neither would Anna. Anna’s smile broadened. Elsa slipped her hand into Anna’s and whispered, “Yes, Anna, it is time for the gifts.”

She raised her voice to the crowd. “Before we begin with the celebration of gifts, I would like to say a few words.” 

Anna stepped back and bowed. Elsa always wished she wouldn’t. But it was customary. 

Elsa turned to the crowd. Tucking the slip of paper into her dress, Elsa cleared her throat. She knew what she wanted to say. “Today is Princess Anna of Arendelle’s nineteenth birthday. Today, we honor royalty, as is customary. But more than that, today, we honor a wonderful woman. One who saved from the eternal winter. Today, we honor the woman who saved you all.” 

Anna bit her lip and opened her mouth to speak, but the crowd cheered, drowning any words out. The crowd eventually fell silent. 

“And today, we honor my little sister,” Elsa continued in quiet voice. “Let us make this the best birthday celebration she has ever had. Let’s start with the opening of the gifts.” Anna whooped, then clapped a hand over her own mouth. Elsa smiled. “As it is obvious that is what the Princess has been waiting for.” The crowd laughed. Bulda and the rest of Kristoff’s family rolled quietly into the grounds. They remained in rock form, hidden from view. Elsa took a deep breath. She tilted her head to Kristoff. “If you’ll begin.”

Kristoff stepped forward. Elsa’s stomach did a flip, her hands tingled. Her chest even tightened. He’s not asking you, idiot. Calm down. She forced a smile and focused on the pair. She didn’t want to miss a second of his proposal. 

Anna went to him. The crowd formed a half circle around them. Kristoff took Anna’s hand in his and swallowed, visibly. Elsa half smiled. So she wasn’t the only nervous one.

“Anna of Arendelle,” Kristoff began, “I have known you over a year, and have cherished every second of that time with you. I have gotten the privilege of knowing all your quirks. I know you are impatient. I know you are feisty and overly cheerful. I know you have an intense want for chocolate that can’t be filled. And I know I am in love with you.” 

Anna smiled, tightening her grip on Kristoff’s hand.

Elsa’s eyes watered. One of her maids tugged on her sleeve and passed her to a tissue. She nodded her thanks and dabbed her eyes. 

“And I also know I can’t stand a second without you. You bring so much joy into my life, so much happiness and fun.” Kristoff slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the box. He knelt and opened the box. The ring glinted. Anna gasped. The crowd did, too. “And if you’ll let me, I will spend the rest of my life making you happy, too. Anna of Arendelle, will you marry me?”

Anna didn’t wait even a heartbeat. “Yes!”

They hugged. The garden erupted in sound. Elsa dabbed her eyes again. No crying. Not here. Not in front of her subjects. Thankfully no one really paid her much attention. 

* * *

 

Worry gripped Astrid’s stomach. Stormfly was fading fast. And who could blame her? They had been flying nearly all night long and most of the morning. They had never been this far away from Berk before. Of course her dragon would tire. But what really irked Astrid was how the white dragon never seemed to. It flew ahead of them the entire time. When they stopped, it would, like it was some sort of game, but the miniature dragon didn’t seem tired. It didn’t seem worn out at all. 

How was that possible?

Stormfly heaved, spirling down then opening her wings when she found an updraft. The wind carried them high. Higher than the tiny dragon. Higher than the clouds even. The faint sound of cheering filtered through the white. 

“What is that?” she muttered. Stormfly shook her head. 

Astrid aimed Stormfly down again. They flew below the clouds and dipped lower still, following the little dragon. Astrid focused on the glinting creature. She didn’t want it to transform into a snowflake and drift away.

When the noise grew, Astrid finally looked down. She gasped. They had flown to a land mass, and a huge one at that. Even from this high, Astrid couldn’t see the other edge. Why was the little white dragon flying here, though? It didn’t seem to have a dragon population. No, Astrid looked closer. No dragon had ever been here before. The houses were old and multiple stories high, the castle, undamaged. 

Astrid pulled Stormfly up, higher than the little white dragon. In the distance, on the side of a mountain, a structure reflected the light. Did the little dragon belong there? 

Astrid flew over the castle, careful to angle around the gardens so Stormfly’s shadow wouldn’t give them away. The people beneath them seemed too distracted anyway. A couple stood midst all the rest, hugging everyone. Their laughter carried up to Astrid. But a lone woman stood apart from the masses. The way she held herself, she had to be royalty. Stormfly dipped lower, low enough for Astrid to see the curve of the woman’s body and the way her elegant red dress caught the light.

The little white dragon seemed to notice the same woman. It cooed.

Maybe it just got distracted. 

The dragon plummeted to the ground, heading for the woman. 

Astrid cursed. Maybe it got really distracted. Astrid swooped down, too. 

* * *

 

After much hugging and hand holding and thank yous from Anna and Kristoff the place settled down once more. Anna ran over to Elsa and gave her a hug. 

“Congratulations, Anna.” Elsa smiled.

Anna hugged her again. “Thank you.”

Elsa looked away, rubbing her arm. She didn’t want to give Anna the necklace at all, but certainly not after all that fanfare. Why did she have to let Kristoff go first? 

Anna tugged her around. “Did you have a gift for me, too?”

Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Yes, but she didn’t want to give it to her. Or maybe she could pass by her turn and give the necklace to Anna later on. Elsa shook her head, but Anna didn’t get the hint. The crowd quieted. 

Stuffing her hand in her pocket, Elsa’s cheeks grew hot. “Anna, I don’t know if…”

Anna interrupted her. “I’ll like whatever you give me, Elsa. Anything at all.”

Elsa drew out her hand, the necklace clasped tight in her fist. If only she could fling the gift away and try again. Or if she was wishing she might as well with for the dragon to come back. Her little ice dragon. She reached down and held one of Anna’s hands in her own, intending on dropping the necklace into it. The little ice dragon, the one she had been searching for all last night and had given up hope for this morning, plopped down onto Anna’s hand instead. 

The crowd yelled. Some rushed away. But Elsa focused on her little sister’s reaction instead. 

Anna yelped. She dropped the dragon. It fell. Elsa tried to catch it, but the dragon slipped through her fingers and landed in a heap on the ground. One of its wings twisted oddly beneath it. It gave a pitiful bleat. 

Elsa crouched down and propped it back up again. The dragon held the wing out from its body. “I’m so sorry, little one. I’ll fix it, okay?”

The dragon looked at her with such sadness in its eyes Elsa wanted to hug it. But that would just hurt it more. Besides this little one didn’t really like contact very much anyway. Not yet.

“Sorry!” Anna, too, knelt down. “I’m so sorry. I just got scared and I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t realize it would be a live dragon and I didn’t know you’d actually get me a dragon in the first place and-” 

“Hush, Anna. Let me work.”

Anna fell silent. Elsa summoned her powers. Ice crystals formed in between her hands and pushed it towards the dragon. The wing healed. The dragon nuzzled against her hand.

But the crowd’s screaming grew louder. More frantic. This wasn’t how she pictured her gift giving at all. Yes it was a live dragon, but an ice one for heaven’s sake. The people of Arendelle should be okay with it after a time. They loved Olaf. Elsa rose. But her subjects weren’t looking at her, they were looking above her. Elsa looked up just in time to see a burst of fire rocket down. 

Elsa pulled Anna behind her, stepped over the little dragon, and put up her hands. She called up her powers and formed an ice shield. Flames barreled into the ice, heat seeping through even though Elsa put up more and more layers of snow to protect them. When would this fire end?

Suddenly it did. But her shield warped her image of the attacker. It seemed like there were lots of attackers. And the attackers flew. That couldn’t be right. She shattered her ice. Only one creature attacked Arendelle. Only one terrifying fire-breathing dragon attacked. And atop the dragon rode a woman. A woman clad in leather battle gear, complete with a double-sided axe twice the size of Elsa’s head strapped to her back.

The dragon swooped down once more.


End file.
